Chemotherapy for childhood Hodgkin lymphoma

Chemotherapy uses anticancer, or cytotoxic, drugs to destroy cancer cells. It is usually used to treat childhood Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). When planning treatment, the healthcare team will consider the type of HL, stage, size (bulkiness) of the tumour and risk group, as well as your child’s personal needs. Based on this information they will plan the drugs, doses and schedules of chemotherapy. Your child may also receive other treatments.

Chemotherapy is given to destroy cancer cells in the body. It is usually a systemic therapy. This means that the drugs travel through the bloodstream to reach and destroy cancer cells all over the body, including those that may have broken away from the primary tumour.

The drugs may be given by mouth or by a needle in a vein (called intravenous injection). Sometimes a special device called a central venous catheter (tube) may be used to safely give the drugs. It is usually placed in the operating room at the start of chemotherapy and left in place until treatment is finished. Find out more about central venous catheter.

Chemotherapy drugs commonly used for childhood HL

The most common chemotherapy drugs used to treat childhood HL are:

cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan, Procytox)

doxorubicin (Adriamycin)

vincristine (Oncovin)

bleomycin (Blenoxane)

procarbazine hydrochloride (Matulane)

dacarbazine (DTIC)

etoposide (Vepesid, VP-16)

vinblastine (Velbe)

prednisone

dexamethasone (Decadron, Dexasone)

methotrexate

cytarabine (Cytosar, Ara-C)

cisplatin (Platinol AQ)

These drugs are usually given in combination to treat childhood HL. When different drugs are given together, they are more effective than any single drug alone.